


How Reiner asked Bertolt to Prom

by YohanesLittleDemon



Category: Attack on Titan
Genre: M/M, Reibert - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-14 10:56:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8010970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YohanesLittleDemon/pseuds/YohanesLittleDemon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As prom draws nearer, Reiner finds the cheesiest way to ask Bertolt: serenade him with a corny pop song.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How Reiner asked Bertolt to Prom

There was a good reason why Reiner Braun was not in choir - a couple reasons, actually. First of all, he spent a significant amount of time on sports, particularly football. Whatever remained of his free time was dedicated to school.

And then there was the fact that his singing was identical to the sound of a moose perishing from asthma. It became somewhat of a hindrance when it came to singing.

Nonetheless, Reiner couldn't think of a better way to humiliate his boyfriend into going to prom with him. Of course, he was considerate about it and decided that this should be done in private.

His boyfriend was Bertolt Hoover. Six-foot-three of pure lankiness, awkwardness, adorableness, and everything else rolled into a perfect person - in Reiner's opinion, that is. He had dark brown hair and shimmering olive-green eyes that practically glowed.

They had always been friends, but it wasn't until high school when Reiner finally asked the boy of his dreams to date him.

It was a beautiful turn of events. No one had expected it, and no one would ever admit to expecting it. It was so sudden - so shrouded by the fear of something going terribly wrong - that when everything went right, everyone was glad.

If you asked him, Reiner would say he thought that he was going to have a heart attack. He was so close to walking away and trying again some other time. Almost too close to throwing away the rose in the nearest trash can while bolting in the opposite direction. It was nerve-wrecking, he'd admit; that was something he would never lie about that.

That day, Reiner knew from the moment he captured Bertolt's attention, the brunet could sense that something was odd. The instant Reiner's tone changed with the way he talked to Bertolt, he knew he made Bertolt nervous as well. Bertolt knew his best friend. He knew when something was off. That night, when Reiner had asked to hang out privately, Bertolt was certain something was taking place. Something that will cause a significant change whether it would be bad or good.

Bertolt nearly held his breath the entire time from the moment Reiner arrived to pick him up, to the moment Reiner stopped him in the dead center of a park - next to a beautiful, old water fountain lit up with lights which rippled in rings on the surface of the water.

Reiner noticed that Bertolt almost seemed anxious. He looked up, finding himself becoming lost in Bertolt's green eyes. With every second that passed Reiner could feel himself falling harder for the person in front of him. He desperately hoped for Bertolt to felt the same way.

Like that very night, it was the words that were the most difficult part. Reiner wasn't necessarily poetic. Sure, he made a limerick on the dangers of flammable substances for a science class, but he was definitely no poet. So, he thought, why not borrow someone else's words just for the occasion. Besides, some people write songs conveniently perfect for lovebirds like him and Bertolt to have something to relate to.

It wasn't hard. Once he found a corny song, he put his heart into it. He ascertained every note he sang was on pitch, every lyric was pronounced correctly, and every word fell on rhythm. He even pulled out an old guitar from his father's closet. Even though it appeared to be a vintage object, Reiner was pleasantly surprised that it worked fine. At that moment, it was not important how old the guitar was.

Bertolt was the only thing that mattered at the time. The lyrics, the melody, everything was for Bertolt. Reiner learned the guitar part, which was decently easy through tablature. It was simply some cheesy pop song which Reiner knew he _had_ to sing the instant he heard it. The 

Thank goodness for the Internet.

He could feel himself preparing to sing. His heart nearly rose to his throat, and his hands began to miss notes as they shook.

Here goes nothing.

" _If you were fall_ -"

"I've heard enough," Jean stated as he raised up his hand.

"What's wrong?" Reiner asked.

"I mean, it wasn't dreadful," Marco nervously laughed. "But there's room for improvement."

"It's a bit pitchy, dawg, a bit pitchy," Sasha added.

"You sounded like a screeching cat that was falling off the Empire State Building," Jean said with a British accent. "And as it was falling, there are sirens from the ambulances below."

"Okay?" Reiner said. "Now can you not speak in early 2000's American Idol?"

Connie sighed. He was sitting in a remote corner of the room on a chair since the others called dibs on which judge they wanted to be."You seem really nervous. Dude, you've never been this nervous before, not even for a really important game or something."

"But this isn't a football game," Reiner stated.

"I know it isn't, but you gotta treat it like one," Connie stated. "You gotta go out there, play your best, and knock 'em dead."

"It's easier said then done, Connie," Sasha stated. "It's completely different from a game."

"Well it's the game of love," Jean added. "How difficult can it be?"

Marco glanced over at Jean with one raised eyebrow. "Says the guy who nearly screwed up the relationship because he said something stupid."

"I apologized!" Jean exclaimed.

"Guys, this isn't about your petty problems," Sasha stated. "Reiner, Bert means a lot to you, right?"

"Right," Reiner nodded.

"And you've been with him for what? A year now, right?"

"Yep."

"So what are you so afraid of?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah," Connie interjected. "It's not like he's gonna dump you if you screw up or anything."

"Well..." Jean began to protest as he pointed up a finger.

"Jean!" Everyone shouted at once.

"Alright! I'll shut up!" Jean gave in. "Sheesh."

"Reiner," Marco said with a sympathetic smile, "your nervousness is making you sound-"

Jean interrupted once again with his British accent. "Like a screeching cat that is falling off the Empire State-"

"Shut up before I slug you!" Sasha threatened.

"Sasha, no one used the word 'slug' since Lucy from Charlie Brown," Connie joked.

"Guys," Marco said under his breath. Immediately, everyone focused on the situation at hand once again.

"Right," Sasha breathed. "Just chill. You got this. I'm pretty sure he'll like it no matter what."

"What are you so nervous about anyway?" Connie stated.

Reiner shrugged. "Messing up, I guess. I mean, I planned this for a while..."

"There's only one way to get past this," Sasha stated. "And that is to look your fear in the eyes, run into it, with no second thoughts and full of rage, and see what happens in the end."

"Like what Eren does," Jean added.

"But don't sing like you're angry," Connie interjected. "You already sound bad enough as it is."

Reiner laughed. "Thank you for having faith in me," he said sarcastically.

"So when is this happening, anyway," Jean asked.

Reiner rubbed the back of his neck before responding. "Tonight."

"Tonight?!" Everyone inquired at once. Each one of them nearly sprang out of their seats.

"Where?" Marco asked.

"I'm not telling you," Reiner said as placed his guitar back into its case.

"Why not?" Sasha whined.

"Must he remind you that you literally showed up to his date?" Jean reminded her. "He wanted a 'quiet night alone with Bertolt' but that changed, now didn't it?"

"That was a long time ago," Sasha waved it away.

"It was last week."

"I know you all mean well," Reiner chuckled. "I promise I'll tell you how it goes." He grabbed his guitar and began to walk out of the unused classroom.

"Remember!" Sasha shouted. "No second thoughts!"

 

Reiner had invited Bertolt over that evening. He prepared his backyard for this day for ages. Colorful lanterns were strung on the branches and the fence. There was a small stage set up, nothing but a couple wooden planks supported by cement blocks. Two tall poles stuck out from the ground with a string of off-white light bulbs hanging behind him. He set up a comfy lawn chair in front of the stage with plenty of pillows. There were more miscellaneous lights shaped as butterflies which surrounded the entire area, further illuminating Reiner's back yard.

Once he was finished with the final touches, he stepped back, arms placed firmly on his hips as he admired the work he had created. He turned the lights off. Now that he was done with the easy part, it was time to wait.

Bertolt showed up in time. It was exactly 7:00. Reiner immediately ran to the door with a black piece of cloth. He opened the door for his boyfriend, smiling brightly at him.

"Hey Rein-"

"Wear this," Reiner said as he began to blindfold Bertolt without his prior consent.

"Okay, nice to see you, too, I guess," Bertolt joked. "Why- why is this... Why?"

Reiner grabbed his boyfriend's wrist and pulled him through the house, warning Bertolt of where objects or walls were. Bertolt continued to ask Reiner about what he was planning to do. Reiner, however remained quiet as his mother snuck around the corners with him with her phone extended out in front of her. She followed them closely, recording every step she could capture as he led Bertolt to the back yard.

"Okay, there's been a change of scenery," Bertolt stated. "Are we outside again?"

Reiner chuckled at his response. "Yes, now keep your blindfold on. Don't peek."

"Okay," Bertolt said casually. "Although it's a little hard to peek when I'm blindfolded."

Reiner laughed as he quickly retrieved his guitar from it case and stepped onto the creaky, make-shift stage. Reiner took in a deep breath. No second thoughts. Face it with rage. Although, rage was definitely not the most appropriate emotion for this occasion. As Reiner exhaled, he shook his hands by his sides, feeling the guitar weigh on his shoulder by a strap. He carefully placed his hands on first note, silently plucking the string to make sure it was the right one.

"Okay," Reiner stated. "Take off your blindfold now."

As soon as Bertolt slipped off the cloth, Reiner's mother flipped a switch, lighting up the entire backyard. Bertolt was stunned as he glanced around. He quickly centered his attention to the stage, where Reiner was waiting in an ironed white button-up and black dress pants. He wore the watch which Bertolt had given to him for their 1 year anniversary.

Bertolt stifled a small chuckle of disbelief. He held his hands to his mouth, covering his brilliant smile. Reiner took this as his cue to continue.

As he began to play, his hand shook uncontrollably. He missed notes left and right, and it was displayed clearly through the irritated expression on his face. Before he could sing, he stopped. Reiner chuckled embarrassingly, "I'm sorry, I'll just start over."

"It's fine," Bertolt smiled. "Just imagine I'm not here."

Reiner laughed. "Then there would be no point in this." Reiner gestured broadly to the lights which surrounded them.

"Then just think of it as..." Bertolt paused to think for a second. "Pretend I'm a mirror and you're singing to yourself."

Reiner laughed, seeing this as an opportunity for a cheesy comment. "Then I'm pretty damn handsome if I do say so myself."

"Language!" Reiner's mother whispered harshly. She stood behind Bertolt with her phone held up in recording position.

"Oh, sorry," Reiner half apologized, focusing more on Bertolt who was blushing uncontrollably in his seat. He chuckled as he placed his hands back into the correct position. "This is for you, Bertolt. Because you see past everything that is wrong with me - and there's a lot," Reiner said, earning a laugh from Bertolt. "Thank you for taking me The Way I Am."

He played the notes better this time aside from the occasional slips or buzzing sounds. He glanced up from the guitar when the words drew near. As he met the stare of his wonderful boyfriend, he couldn't help but smile along with him.

" _If you were falling,_  
_Then, I would catch you,_  
_You need a light,  
I'd find a match_..."

As Reiner sang, Bertolt swayed back and forth lightly in his seat. Reiner continued to stare into those bright, olive green eyes reflecting the spotted lighting of the backyard.

" _Cause I..._  
_Love..._  
_The way you say good morning,  
And you - take me the way I am_."

Even through the darkness, it was almost too obvious that Bertolt was blushing like a madman. Reiner couldn't help but stare intently at him. Eventually, he no longer felt nervous. And even though he was the one serenading his boyfriend, Reiner felt as if he was the one being swept off his own two feet.

The more he sang, the more he felt comfortable. Granted, his voice wasn't the most pleasing to listen to, but that wasn't something Reiner was worrying about at the moment.

" _I'd buy you Rogaine,_  
_When you start losing all your hair._  
_Sew on patches,_  
_to all you tear._  
_Cause I..._  
_Love you more than I could ever promise._  
_And you, take me the way I am_.  
_You take me the way I am._ "

As Reiner prepared for the last line, he stepped off his stage and traveled closer to Bertolt.  He found himself getting lost even more in Bertolt's beautiful eyes.

" _You... Take me the way I am_."

Bertolt immediately stood up while Reiner slipped off his guitar. The brunet didn't spare a second to take his boyfriend into his arms. Reiner, on the other hand, still had the guitar in his hand. He carefully handed his guitar over to his mother, and wrapped his arms around Bertolt's warm body. He dug his face into the Bertolt's shoulder and breathed him in.

"Bertolt?" Reiner said as he looked up. He broke apart from the hug just to hold Bertolt by his shoulders from mere inches away. "I still have to ask you something."

Reiner was memorized by the face he was seeing in front of him. The hopefulness, the red residue on his cheeks from blushing through the entire song, and the smile that could kill Reiner in seconds were almost too much for him to maintain his focus.

"Will you go to prom with me?" Reiner asked quietly between them.

Bertolt smiled at the ground before making eye contact once again. "Yes. Definitely."

Reiner's smile grew as he began to lean in. However, he paused when he remembered his mother was eagerly recording the event from no more than one foot away. Bertolt was disappointed that Reiner stopped a kiss, but it appeared as if Reiner's mother was even more upset.

"You know, I was really nervous about this," Reiner said softly under his breath.

Bertolt laughed quietly. "There was no need." He gently cupped Reiner's face. "I still would have loved it even if you screwed it up."

"Is it because you take me the way I am?" Reiner referenced.

"Shut up!" Bertolt laughed. "You always say the corniest things."

Reiner casually shrugged. "Whatever to make you smile."

At that comment, Reiner saw a wide, genuinely happy grin spread across Bertolt's face. Bertolt glanced temporarily at the ground before meeting Reiner's eyes again.

As Reiner thought back, it was really these small moments that are so easy to take for granted, yet it is almost impossible for him to do that. After his performance, he could still feel his heart beat madly from stage fright, but it soon subsided once he was in Bertolt's arms. It was the moment when he quickly realized that Bertolt was not going to judge him - he was not his critic. Even if he might have sounded like an atrocity, Bertolt seemed to love it.

And that, Reiner would conclude to everyone, was the story of how he asked his boyfriend, Bertolt, to prom.

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically me going "they need to be more happy and not suffering" and deciding to do something about it. So the song is called "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson, just a disclaimer saying I didn't make it up. On another note, it's really exciting to be putting up my first fanfic on AO3 :3 I'll probably be posting mostly reibert things. And also, any feedback or constructive criticism is appreciated! (And I'm on tumblr: life-arlertt )


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